Mrs. L

 A testimony of God’s  mercy on a recent birth….J is the daughter of a dear friend and spiritual mentor to me when I was young. I have been blessed to attend her in the births of her 3 children. Their last baby a girl had a chromosomal disorder and wasn’t able to stay here on earth but a few short days. Number 4 was also a girl and was going to be received with much gratefulness and a bit of apprehension. Ultrasound showed that the baby was without problems and this family decided to birth with us at the Birth inn. Close to her due date J began some contractions…late in the day (9pm) I went over to see her. While I was there she didn’t have any contractions and noted that things didn’t seem consistent. I went ahead and listened to baby. Great heart tones! She wanted to be checked so we did and found her cervix to be posterior and 1 cm. So we thought it was a warm up and assumed baby would be coming but just not sure when.  She was tired and thought she would get to bed for some sleep. I went home and did the same.

At 2:49am on October 20th, my phone rang..Dad indicates that mom had just woken him and wanted to go to the Birth Inn.  I hear mom groaning in the background……hmm I think that sounds intense. I tell him I will be headed that way and I’d see them there soon…At which point he tells me they are all still in PJ’s and it will be at least 15 min before they are able to get out of the door. I hurry out of bed and quickly get dressed. Three minutes later 2:52 am I am nearly dressed and my phone rings again. (NEVER a good sign)  Dad is yelling at me to get over there as baby has just delivered on the kitchen floorJ I hear baby crying in the background tell him to grab towels and keep her warm. I put on my slippers a mouthful of mouthwash in my mouth and run out the door spitting it on the ground as I get into my car. Fortunately they live in my neighborhoodJ. I arrive to a very pale faced grandma and dad, but a smiling mom and a crying baby!  Grandma tells the story about how she caught baby. Dad says how he tried to tell her NOT to push when she said she needed to (that never works). Mom tells me how she was stirred awake with contractions over the last 2 hours but how she slept between them until the last 8 or so contractions, when they got close and she could no longer sleep. At which point she woke up dad and I think began to realize that she was in transition. Grandma admits to praying she would be able to attend the birth.

 Just goes to show us that one can be 1 cm dilated one minute and a short few hours later have a baby in arms.   Needless to say all was well...mess wasn’t too bad and they have such a story to tell. Thank you Lord for a GREAT birth, and a precious life. No human help needed Your hand is never too short! Deidre DeGrado